Dan Darrah's first collection published by Permanent Sleep entitled 'What else we could be doing' is sold out, to celebrate we decided to share his latest offering, a previously unpublished poem entitled Dominion.

DOMINION

back in the fall i realizedthat the only thing i had at my disposalwas hanging up the phone and not picking back up. my words couldn’t shake youbecause you never believed in them. all i could say to you wasthat i wouldn’t pick up anymore, and nowi’ve got a whole life to provethat i meant it, that i won’t pick upand offer up the love that people trap in jarsand get friends to hide from them, lovethat comes out in wal-mart parking lots withclear views of stars -full, pure, stripped of complications.

i’ve been spending mornings in my kitchenfighting with my hands.i’ve been spending mornings in my kitchenrunning through life with a brush.i’ve been spending mornings in my kitchentrying to reconcile in my headall the times i wanted to kill you butnever, ever wanted you to die.i’ve been spending mornings in my kitchenloosening your dominion,pulling out your planted flags fromthe cupboards and counters -the things that you made yourswith confessionals and apologies, then more confessionals, the things that you made yours, and remade yours, whenever you called.

but these days those flags are getting smaller;they used to be full-size like at schools, nowthey’re sandwich toppers for picnics, and soonthey’ll be stamps, and one day,they’ll just be splayed paint on paper, colours that fade -no longer love, justleftover coffee mugs and hairclipsand hair on the couch, things that disappear on their own.

i’ve been spending mornings in the summer balm,stuck in wide fields like they were amber.